MO-RIVER.NET BOARD MINUTES |
October 1997
Mo-River.Net Board Meeting
October 17, 1997
Boonslick Senior Center
Call to Order: 10:35 a.m.
Present: Patti Carr, Nick Clark, Pat Jackson, Jeff Maddy, Tim Nadeau, Art Schneider, Harry Stone, Bill Wood.
WELCOME: Bill Wood welcomed Patti Carr of the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.
Minutes: Board approved the minutes as sent.
Treasurer's Report: The treasurer reported there are now 11 memberships, one corporate sponsorship. Total income to date: $550. Total expenses: $12.25 check printing. Total in account: $537.75. Board accepted treasurer's report.
OLD NEWS
501(c)3 report: As neither Mark Eslick nor Ginger Wenger was present, report tabled until next meeting. After additional discussion about 501(c)3 President Bill Wood asked Nick Clark to contact Mark Eslick and Ginger and for them to have a recommendation at the November meeting.
Updating URLs and Content: Bill noted that some URLs are not current and information on some pages was out-of-date. There was considerable discussion on programs to verify which URLs are current links and ways to update the sites. Unlinking sites that are not current, stipend or paid person to have this responsibility, signed agreement that organizations' listed shall be responsible were some of the possibilities discussed.
The need for a current calendar also came under discussion. Pat Jackson affirmed the Boonville Chamber's willingness to maintain Cooper County calendar and Patti Carr said the Marshall chamber would be willing to do this for Saline County. A program that allowed for "easy updates" and a password to the URL were discussed. Art noted that Mark Eslick is looking into such a program for presentation at either the November or December meeting. Art agreed to contact Mark to see if a possible program could be previewed at November's board meeting.
Bill Wood appointed Nick Clark and Jeff Maddy to develop a suggested Policy and Procedure for Mo-River.Net site maintenance.
Festival of Leaves: Bill Wood thanked Pat Jackson for developing the Mo-River.Net brochure distributed at the festival (and given to board members at the meeting), to Art Schneider for arranging for the overhead projector, to Harry Stone, Nick Clark and Ginger Wenger for working the Mo-River.Net display at the courthouse. Thanks also was given to Bill for his staffing and setup with Harry of the equipment. Bill also secured a new Mo-River/Net member.
Reports on contacts:
Cooper County--Bill reported he has talked with the County Commission, the "Y", Sheriff Milne and Judge Askren.
Howard County --Jeff Maddy noted Art Schneider and Mark Eslick are scheduled for the Community Betterment meeting on Nov. 10 in Fayette at the Commercial Bank.Harry Stone has personally contacted a dozen churches to solicit information. The churches did not follow up. So Harry has taken his camcorder and loaded pictures from the videotape and he now has several church home pages completed. Bill and Nick have looked at the pages and pronounced them "very attractive." Yeah, Harry!!!
Saline County--The County Health Nurse has inquired about putting information on the web.
NEW BUSINESS
The selection of Mo-River.Net as a web site Hot Spot was acknowledged and appreciation to Mark Eslick. A chili pepper noting the site's selection has been placed on the home page. The board recommended this acknowledgment stay on the page, but that the size of the graphic be reduced 50% for design purposes.
Grant Research: Nick reported on his review of the Gates, Toyota and Kellogg grant possibilities. He urged any board member or user of Mo-River.Net who knows a member of the their boards or who is a key person with these grantors be identified. Having an inside contact could make a difference in "making a powerful entree'." In other words, there is a "good ol' person network" that we should tap if we can.
He recommended that the board set aside a day to pursue development of a strategic plan for Mo-River.Net. Nick said that granting agencies want the grantee's vision (goals) for the future and how they plan to get there. Because of funding cycles, he suggested this be done by December and volunteered to facilitate this process.
After lengthy discussion, Nick moved and Tim seconded the motion that Mo-River.Net undertake strategic planning to be completed and accepted by the board by January 1, 1998. Motion passed.
The board agreed to look at Nov. 21 as the first choice and Nov. 14 as second choice for this process. Nick will check his calendar and let the board know when he will be available.
PLANS AT THIS TIME ARE:
1) TO MEET AT THE BOONSLICK MEETING ROOM. IF THE NUMBER REGISTERING IN ADVANCE IS TOO LARGE FOR THAT SITE, AN ALTERNATIVE (POSSIBLY SANTA FE BAPTIST CHURCH MULTIPURPOSE ROOM--WOULD BE SECURED.
2) THERE WILL BE A CATERED LUNCHEON COST THAT WOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE PARTICIPANTS. THAT FEE WOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN ADVANCE AND WOULD BE NON-REFUNDABLE.
3) THE BOARD MEETING WOULD BEGIN AT 9:30 A.M. AND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AT 10:30 A.M. (ONLY NECESSARY ITEMS WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THIS BOARD MEETING)
4) LUNCH WOULD BE FROM 12:30 TO 1 P.M.
5) ADJOURNMENT AT 4:30 P.M.
Corporate Sponsorship Solicitation Letter/Membership Thank You Note: There was consensus to use the membership note and the corporate solicitation letter distributed by e-mail the evening before the meeting. The thank you note is to be modified to include the meeting time and location of Mo-River.Net board meetings so members who wished to attend would know they are welcome.
Personal follow-up to corporate sponsor solicitations. Bill Wood said he will contact Dave Nicholas, Greg Farmer and Marty James.
Tim Nadeau and Harry Stone will personally contact Gregg Glascock. It was directed that the form solicitation letter approved be sent to all Mo-River.Net participants receiving this e-mail so that they may sign and distribute to corporate people they know in Cooper, Howard and Saline counties. (PLEASE SEND E-MAIL TO ALL LISTED ON THIS E-MAIL SO WE DO NOT DUPLICATE CONTACTS).
A copy of the solicitation letter is being sent separate from the board minutes.
Other Business: Nick will send all an ICQ URL to download software that will enable one to put in e-mail addresses of others to tell if they are on-line so one can "chat" via computer with the other person. In addition, Harry will send an URL to download so the user can "talk" with another person who is on-line and has the same package.
Meeting adjourned at 11:55 a.m.
Respectfully submitted.
Art Schneider, Secretary/Treasurer